Boils and Trouble
by Reganfan
Summary: What does the summer bring to our friends in Sleepyside and from Hogwarts? The next installment of my Sleepyside Goes Hogwarts story line.


Trixie sat at the desk in her room, her history book and notes scattered in front of her. She clutched at her curls with a moan and a silent prayer that she might actually pass her final. _What I wouldn't give,_ she cried to herself, _to be done with this._

A flurry and a tap at her window startled her into a choked scream. Giving her chest a solid thump, hoping that it might restore her heart to beating, she made her way to the window.

A snowy owl fluttered in after Trixie opened the glass pane and settled gracefully on the post of her bed. Leaving the window ajar, she approached the beautiful bird.

"Well hello there, who are you?"

The owl answered by reaching one leg out daintily, showing the envelope tied to her. A grin crossed Trixie's face as she realized that one of her magical friends had sent her her very first owl post. She eagerly took the letter.

"I'm sorry I don't have any treats for you, but I've got a glass of water if you're thirsty," Trixie said, moving to the glass on her desk. After the owl drank her fill, Trixie sat down to read the letter.

_Trixie,_

_Well, we're out for the summer. The train takes us back to King's Crossing tomorrow morning. I can honestly say that I am NOT looking forward to another summer with the Dursleys. It would be a lot more tolerable if you would keep me updated on all your mad adventures. I'm sure Ron would think it brilliant as well._

_Hedwig would enjoy any and all time away, as my uncle doesn't allow her to go out and she must stay very quiet while she is there. So if you would like to send letters to Ron or Hermione or anyone else, I don't think she would mind delivering them._

_Harry_

* * *

Draco couldn't place the annoyingly familiar owl that had flown in with the others during breakfast that morning, until he opened the letter it brought. His face went ashen and his hands started to shake. Jumping up and nearly knocking his chair over, Draco rushed from his kitchen, sure that he was about to lose everything he had just ingested.

Running up the stairs, the pale boy quickly ripped the letter to shreds and tossed them over his shoulder. The pieces of the letter floated in the air like confetti, lazily making their way to land on the floor of the foyer and stairs.

Narcissa, having followed her son out of the kitchen, thoughtfully flicked her wand at the confetti. The pieces floated up into the air, slowly putting them back into the original letter and flew to her waiting hand. Starting up the stairs, Narcissa read the letter.

_Draco,_

_I know it hasn't been long since we saw each other last, but I have to say that I really do miss our talks. So much so that I was hoping we could write over the summer. Maybe you could even come visit me in Sleepyside. If I could, I would try to visit you but that won't happen. I would love to hear back from you if you've got the time._

_Take care,_

_Trixie_

With a smile she knocked softly on her son's bedroom door. Hearing a mumble from the other side, Narcissa opened the door and sat on the edge of the bed. Draco was lying on his stomach, his face buried in his pillows. She rubbed soothing circles on his back as she used to when he was younger.

"What's wrong Draco? This is a lovely letter. Why didn't you tell me you made a girlfriend this term?"

"Girlfriend?!" Draco sputtered as he jerked away from his mom to sit on his knees. "I wouldn't touch that girl with a ten foot pole! Merlin, she's worn off on me… Muggle cooties." Draco started brushing himself off, knowing it wouldn't do any good. He needed to sterilize himself in a hot shower or boiling bath water.

"Why ever not? She seems to be a charming girl. Who is Trixie? Which class did you meet her in?" Narcissa gave Draco an odd look. She caught the first bit, but after that all she managed to understand was 'Muggle'.

"Trixie," he spat her name, his eyes getting big, "is nothing but a stupid, horrid Muggle! I should have A.K.'ed that damned owl when I couldn't place whose it was," Draco grumbled, forgetting momentarily that his mother was in the room with him.

"Watch your language, young man, when there is a lady in the room," the tone Narcissa used and the look on her face killed Draco's retort of 'Where?' while it was still on his tongue. He was glad that it didn't slip out, for his mother would have viewed it disrespectful. He respected his mom, just not that Muggle.

Gently pulling the wrinkles out of the front of her blouse, Narcissa preened as she suggested, "Perhaps if you wrote back and explained that you aren't interested in a friendship with her."

"I explained that to her REPEATEDLY at school. She couldn't wrap her thick skull around the concept."

"Why was a Muggle at Hogwarts?" Narcissa asked, the information Draco had given her finally sinking in and clicking.

* * *

_Harry,_

_Out of school already? I am veritably __green__(Gleeps! I think I've been spending too much time with my brother-the walking dictionary) with envy. Hedwig brought a blessed break from studying for my history exam when she arrived with your letter. We don't get out of school over here for another week. I've been studying so hard for the rest of my exams that I'm no longer certain of what I have down pat._

_Luckily my English, Chemistry, and Algebra exams are out of the way. Next week I have to worry about my solo performance for chorus on Monday for my final grade. (I'll be singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" at what my director's calling the talent show.) I also have History and German. Wish me luck; I'm afraid I'll need it._

_Thank you for offering Hedwig's service. I think I will take you up on the offer. What kind of treats does she like? I would love to have a stash here for her._

_I really need to get back to studying, but I hope to hear from you again soon._

_Take care,_

_Trixie_

* * *

_Trix,_

_Been out over a week and I'm already bored to tears. There's not much to do at home but chores and the occasional quidditch game with the twins._

_Mione won't come to visit for a month yet. She's off traveling with her parents. No tellin' when we might be able to sneak Harry out of the Dursley's. I don't know why it's still such a big deal; after all, you-know-who is gone now._

_Liven up life here at the Burrow and tell me you're on another adventure please!_

_Ron_

Trixie grinned as she set Ron's note on her desk. She held out a treat, that Harry had sent with his last letter, for Hedwig, who was perched on her bedpost once more.

Trixie and her Sleepyside friends Honey, Di, her brother Mart, and Dan had just gotten out of school. The previous Saturday had been Mart and Dan's graduation. Certainly half a week wasn't enough time for Trixie to get into trouble. Right?

Knowing that Hedwig would be eager to get on her way shortly, Trixie sat and started her reply. Pausing halfway through the letter, she pulled out another sheet of paper and jotted another note down. She then turned back to finish her original letter.

* * *

Draco soared in the sky over the Malfoy Estate on his trusty Nimbus 2001. Nothing was quite like flying. He pulled back to hover when he saw a familiar white owl fly away from the main house. Cursing all the way, and fighting the supreme urge to retch, Draco dove to the ground, jumped from his broomstick and stalked into the house.

"You are quite popular this summer, Draco," his mother smiled as she held out a letter. She knew who the letter was from, she recognized the writing, but she couldn't help but find humor in her son's plight.

Hesitantly Draco approached, glaring suspiciously at the innocent looking envelope.

_Maybe I should just burn it instead of reading it_, he thought with half a smile. He stopped, still glaring at the letter.

"You know, I don't want it. Just throw it into the fire place for me. I don't want to have to boil myself again," Draco turned to walk from the room, pleased with his decision.

"'Draco, I hope you got my last letter. I didn't hear back from you and I'm not sure if Hedwig knows where to find you. Hopefully you'll get this letter though.'"

Draco went pale, well, paler than usual and was at the cusp of hyperventilating as Narcissa read on.

"'I still think it would be perfectly perfect if you could come and visit Sleepyside. I'm sure it's not nearly as exciting as where you live, but it would be a nice change of pace.'"

Halfway through the second paragraph, Draco shoved his fingers into his ears as far as he could.

"'I really hope to hear back from you. I do wonder how you are. Trixie'"

By the end of the letter, Draco was running for the door (damn the too large kitchen), fingers still in his ears screeching "LA, LA, LA, I can't hear you! I'm not listening!"

Seeing that Narcissa's lips ceased moving, Draco withdrew his fingers. Walking over to her, he snatched the letter away, threw it on the stove top and lit the burner watching it wither and turn to ask.

"That was a dirty trick, woman," Draco sniffed with a glare as he left the kitchen with as much dignity as he could muster.

* * *

Ron sat in the garden after helping his mom and sister rid it of the gnomes. Bored, yet again, he was pulling long blades of grass, pressing them between the sides of his thumbs and using them as whistles.

He saw a speck in the sky and hoped with all he was worth that it was an owl with something for him. Ron nearly jumped for joy when Hedwig landed gracefully at his side. Having her step to his shoulder, he took her inside for a snack and a rest before she went on her way, accompanying Ron back to the hill before taking off.

_Ron,_

_I've only been out of school a few days. That isn't enough time for me to fall into a big mess. Give me a couple more days and I'm sure you'll be hearing from me._

Ron started reading after making himself comfortable on the grassy hill behind his garden.

_I must admit, I would probably be bored out of my mind if I didn't have so many farm chores, or horses to ride. My older brother Mart and his best friend, Dan, are out of town. They saved all last summer so they could treat themselves to a trip after graduating. Brian, my other older brother is still at college. He's doing summer courses to get through sooner. Same with Honey's brother, Jim._

_I'm sure I'll be commiserating more with you in a few weeks. Honey will be on vacation with her family and Diana will be visiting her uncle's ranch in Arizona._

_This letter sure is longer than I thought it would be. I hope I didn't put you to sleep. I can't wait to hear back. I would love to read about your family. Give me a few more siblings and we couldn't have more in common. On second thought, don't. I'll have nightmares of multiple Bobbys tonight._

_Trixie_

Ron chuckled at her last though. He had heard stories about Bobby… it wouldn't surprise him if _he_ had nightmares just like Trixie's that night.

* * *

Draco was comfortable reclining in an over-stuffed chair in front of an empty fire place. His eyes were closed. Having not heard from the Muggle for a week, he was completely at ease.

"Draco?" his mom called through the house from the entry way.

"In here," he mumbled, not quite loud enough to be heard.

"Draco?"

He repeated himself louder as he heard Narcissa approach.

"You've got another letter, dear."

Draco rolled his eyes. He was far too old to be his mother's 'dear'. Then his mind latched onto the rest of what she had said. Childishly, he crossed his fingers, hoping it wasn't from _her_.

Taking the envelope from her, he tore it open before he lost the nerve that his temper had given him. Noticing that Narcissa was watching expectantly, he thanked her and took the note to his room.

_Draco,_

The familiar scrawl made him wince, at the same time he wrinkled his nose with a mix of distaste and anger.

_I'm beginning to think you're trying to ignore me._

"No shit? YA THINK?!" He tried to keep his voice low so as not to be overheard.

He incinerated the letter with a flick of his wand on his way to his trunk. Rifling through his things, he withdrew a piece of parchment, a quill, and his ink. After depositing them on his desk, he returned to his trunk. Reverently, Draco pulled out a vial of deep green potion. A wicked grin covered his face as he turned to his next task.

* * *

Trixie grinned, looking up in the sky as she weeded the vegetable garden at her house, Crabapple Farm. As a speck flew closer it became recognizable as an owl; one that Trixie had never seen before. The owl looked somehow royal with his deep black feathers that looked and felt like satin, and his beak and legs that were the color of gold. Some sixth sense told her exactly who that owl was from.

Jumping up, she dusted herself off and ran her fingers through her unruly curls. She hurried to her room and, throwing open the window, she offered the new owl a treat and a drink.

As the dark owl took flight, Trixie made herself comfortable at her desk and unfolded the parchment.

_**LEAVE ME ALONE YOU PSYCHOTIC MUGGLE!**_

The instant she opened the letter her skin began to burn and itch. To her horror, she saw red welts beginning to push up through the skin and they quickly evolved into pus filled, painful boils that made her gasp in agony. She dropped the letter and stared in horror as her exposed legs followed suit. Her eyes began to swell and she could feel them on her face and neck. This was as bad as the Weasley's twin's candy!

Afraid to lie down and aggravate her grotesque skin condition, she tried to think through pain and panic. Moms would flip, she couldn't know about this. She needed help and fast. She cried out in alarm as something hit her in the chest. Trixie opened her eyes as far as she could. Still, all she could really see was a blotch of gray. Reaching down and feeling feathers, she brought the tiny owl to her face.

"Oh, how I'm glad to see you," Trixie would have kissed it if she could have.

Pigwidgeon puffed out his tiny chest and took off to fly around the room at lightning speed while Trixie quickly scrawled 'help' on two scraps of paper.

"I need you to take these to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley," Trixie told the excited owl that still hadn't landed. Pig barely glanced in her direction and ran into one wall after another, not noticeably slowing in the least.

"Please come down here, little owl," Trixie pleaded, not looking forward to trying to capture it in her current condition.

_Gleeps, I hope no one comes looking for me. They'll want to know what happened. I wish I knew what just happened_, she thought miserably.

"Come on down. I've got treats for you," she tried bribing.

When that didn't work, she grabbed a handful of the treats and carefully climbed on her bed. Boils still throbbing, she bounced as lightly as she could into the air, trying to catch the owl. Unfortunately, this only riled the small bird more.

Frustrated tears stung the backs of Trixie's eyes as she gently flopped down on her bed, tears leaking from her eyes from the pain of the boils making contact with the bed. Feeling the sudden drain of energy, Pig floated down to perch on her stomach.

* * *

Harry was lying on his bed, book tented on his chest and glasses still on, having dozed off out of boredom.

Pig woke Harry after landing on his shoulder and pecking the lenses of Harry's glasses.

Jerking into a sitting position, startled, Harry knocked Pig to the floor. The tiny owl made a funny strangled noise, obviously scolding Harry. Pig flew up and beat Harry's face with his wings before shoving Trixie's note at him, flying away as quickly as he had flown in.

Reading the one word, Harry's heart stopped for a beat. Without a second thought, he grabbed his broom and invisibility cloak, flying out the window as he draped the cloth over his head.

* * *

Pigwidgeon flew into the Burrow's kitchen as if Voldemort himself were still alive and after him. He bounced off of walls, windows, and Weasleys until Ron finally caught his hyperactive owl.

"Mum! I have to go. I need to get Professor Dumbledore."

"Whatever for?" Molly enquired, following her son to the fireplace.

"I don't have time to explain other than my Muggle friend Trixie is in trouble," Ron took a handful of Floo powder as he stepped into the fireplace.

Tossing the powder he said, "Hogwarts," and disappeared on his way to the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

Dumbledore had just finished a late supper and dessert and was arriving back at his office/quarters when he heard the pounding sound of running feet. He paused just inside his office door.

Harry ran up the stairs and nearly bowled the Headmaster over.

"Harry, what on Earth are you-" he didn't finish before there was a commotion down coming towards them and Ron barreled into Harry.

"We've got to go see Trixie," Ron said.

"We need to go to Sleepyside," Harry stated urgently at the same time.

Dumbledore didn't say anything, waiting for them to explain as he herded the two back to the Floo.

Harry quickly explained the note and his worry as he grabbed some powder. The other two followed suit, Dumbledore Flooing to the Ministry of Magic first to add the Belden's home to the Floo network.

* * *

Helen Belden was vacuuming the den. She didn't notice the fireplace roar to life with green flames as her back was to it. When she turned to run the sweeper over that last patch of rug, she dropped the handle and covered her mouth to suppress a scream.

There in front of her hearth were three soot covered individuals. One boy was on the short and painfully skinny side, wearing wire rimmed glasses. Next to him was a tall, gangly thing. Helen couldn't be positive with all the soot, but he looked to have carrot red hair.

"Do I know you?" Helen drew herself to her full height, but a mere five foot four wasn't intimidating in the least. Her eyes honed in on the elderly man with a long white beard and half moon spectacles.

"I'm afraid we haven't had the pleasure," the old man stepped forward and offered a slight bow, "though your delightful daughter may have mentioned one of us. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These," Dumbledore gestured to the two sooty teens with him, "are two students that Trixie spent time with while she was visiting, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley."

Helen nodded to the two boys and turned her attention back to the old gentleman before her. "May I ask what you are doing here?"

"I'm sure you're aware that Trixie has been writing with me and Ron since she came home," Harry spoke quickly. "We both got a note of earlier. There was only one word and it was 'help' so here we are."

Without waiting for an answer, he started for the stairs, Ron close behind him.

The Headmaster waited in the den while the duo found Trixie.

"You have a lovely home," he said, eyes twinkling.

"Thank you." Helen wasn't sure of what to say next, but ever the good hostess she offered, "Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"That would be lov-" Dumbledore stopped short when Ron called down the stairs.

"Professor, you really should come up here." It was obvious that Ron was trying to mask the tone of shock in his voice.

"I'm afraid I will have to take a rain check," Dumbledore quickly amended as he made his way up the stairs.

Helen stayed at the foot of the stairs, knowing how cramped it could get in the upstairs hallway. She, like her daughter, started chewing on her lower lip from worry.

"We'll have to take Trixie back to Madame Pomfrey to fix this," Dumbledore told Helen as he levitated the young girl to the hearth.

He and his now three charges went back to the fireplace, Dumbledore paused only long enough to tell Helen to expect an owl with an update.

Rather than helping Trixie to Hogwarts' hospital wing and by doing so aggravating her boils, Dumbledore levitated her behind him. Once there, he deposited her onto one of the many cots while Ron found the Mediwitch in her office.

With Harry sitting by Trixie's side, the headmaster went to the nearest fire. Sprinkling Floo powder into the flame, he put his face in also.

"Severus? Sorry to interrupt but I'm afraid we'll be needing your services. Bring a vial of Boil-be-Gone, if you please; Madame Pompfrey seems to have run out."

Minutes later Pomfrey had put pain relieving salve on Trixie's boils and Snape stole into the room. Dumbledore, Harry, and Ron were having no success at all with prying out what had happened to her. All she would admit to was a hexed note.

Severus took one look at Trixie and her boils and had to suppress the urge to grin. Someone had tried to put the meddlesome Muggle back in her place and the thought of it made him want to laugh.

Snape administered the potion and made his excuses. The meddling Muggle was almost as difficult to be near as the insufferable know-it-all, and he wanted nothing more than to get away from her as quickly as he could.

Pomfrey examined her patient yet again and turned to her visitors. "She should probably stay at least overnight." Her eyes cut to Harry and Ron, "If you two are staying I ask that you allow her to get decent rest."

Harry and Ron nodded and smiled innocently at the Mediwitch. They would be staying in order to see Trixie back to Sleepyside in the morning. Until then, they would try to stay out of trouble.

With that she returned to her office, Dumbledore headed back to his quarters, and the two boys gathered around Trixie's bed. Ron glanced over his shoulder secretively and pulled a toffee-like red and purple candy out of his pocket, waving it slowly in front of Trixie.

"You want a Puking Pastel? You'll be able to stay here longer," Ron tried to make hurling non-stop sound enticing. Harry snorted as his lips curled into a big smile.

"You know what; I don't think I would at the moment. Thanks though, Ron," Trixie said, grinning impishly at him.


End file.
